Let science, not fear, be the judge of GM crops

Gordon Brown's reshuffle has received a predictably mixed press, though one appointment can be rated as modestly encouraging: that of Hilary Benn as head of the government's food policy. Benn, it should be noted, is a supporter of crop gene manipulation, an intensely controversial technology. Scientists say it could save a hungry world. Opponents, claiming it will cause widespread environmental damage, have ensured that GM crop trials in Britain have been destroyed. Scientists view these actions with disgust. Mr Benn's support for their cause could prove invaluable.

The issue is further complicated because campaigners believe GM foods are being forced on the world by biotechnology multi-nationals seeking monopolies for their products. And they have a point. As The Observer reports today, companies such as Monsanto have attempted to set up GM seed technology packages that force farms into a dependence on their products. Such attempts are a matter of real concern. But we should note they are not confined to GM crops. Trying to tie customers to monopoly deals is common business practice. The technology is neutral.

In fact, genetic modification offers some promise for our overcrowded, overheated planet and for the nine billion people who will be living on it in 2050. Deserts are destined to spread, water will become scarce and disease hard to contain. GM crops could help alleviate these threats. Drought-resistant wheat as well as rice modified to generate high yields of vitamins will aid the fight against famine, while crops modified to make vaccines against infections such as hepatitis B will help doctors combat disease.

This point should not be understated. It may be fashionable to deride GM technology in the West, but for the rest of the world, it has the potential to save millions of lives. Earlier this summer, Leeds researchers, working with Ugandan colleagues in the development of pest-resistant potatoes for the Third World, found their small-scale field trial had been trashed by anti-GM campaigners. The perpetrators of that act are badly mistaken if they think destroying experiments designed to help impoverished people advances the green cause or strikes a blow against global corporations.

The argument over GM crops is changing. They may not be a panacea in combating famine, but their development has the potential to save lives. We cannot know the scale of that potential without allowing researchers the freedom to experiment with the technology. Our judgment of GM must be led by science, not irrational fear and vandalism.